HR4422-119

What This Bill Does

The Don't Feed the Bears Act responds to findings that federal land agencies discourage feeding black bears but some federal lands still allow licensed hunters to set out food as bait where state law permits it. The bill describes bait stations with human-scented foods, animal carcass parts, pastries, fruits, and grease; says such feeding can habituate bears to people and property, increase bear-human conflicts, cause property damage, lead to attacks, and cause nuisance bears to be killed; and notes National Park Service experience reducing bear-human encounters after ending bear feeding and open-air dumps. The operative prohibition bars placing, depositing, distributing, or scattering any food, garbage, salt, mineral, or other edible substance on federal public land for the purpose of intentionally attracting bears for hunting. It preserves exceptions for federal, state, or Tribal wildlife management, public safety, scientific research, emergency response, ordinary food use by visitors, and other non-hunting purposes that do not intentionally attract bears for hunting.

Who Benefits and How

Visitors to federal public lands benefit if fewer bears are habituated to human-scented food and campsites. Black bears benefit because reducing baiting can lower food conditioning, conflict, and nuisance kills. Wildlife managers benefit from a clearer federal rule against bear baiting while preserving management exceptions. Animal welfare organizations benefit from a federal prohibition on bait stations used to hunt bears.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Bear hunters using bait on federal public lands lose the ability to use food or edible substances to attract bears for hunting. Federal land management agencies must enforce the baiting prohibition while administering exceptions. State hunting regulators must account for a federal-land rule even where state law allows bear baiting. Outfitters offering baited bear hunts on federal lands may lose business opportunities.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits placing food, garbage, salt, minerals, or edible substances on federal public land to attract bears for hunting.
• Applies to federal public lands managed by agencies such as the Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management.
• Protects wildlife management, public safety, scientific research, emergency response, visitor food use, and non-hunting exceptions.
• Uses bear-human conflict, property damage, habituation, and nuisance-kill findings to justify the baiting ban.